"Floral Fusion" Collage by Valori Wells
It has been a long winter here in Sisters this year, and we have all been looking forward to spring. So we chose Floral Fusion as our Alchemy of Fabric theme for the month of April. Valori made a photo collage inspired by the fabrics that we chose, to inspire us and think about new possibilities with these florals.
As always, this collage is a good place to consider the Elements of Design. The Elements that struck me with this collage are Scale and Proportion. When looking at the whole collage, it would be easy to become overwhelmed with up-close shots of flowers, but Val mixed in photos with small flowers so there is lots of visual interest.
That visual interest is important to note because when you are mixing different fabrics with the fabric pack from this month, which is primarily large flowers on varying backgrounds, a few small prints will help to break up those bold florals. Even in the large flowers, there are smaller, detailed, yet repetitive patterns in the flowers themselves. In some of these photos the buds are the repetition, meanwhile in other photos the flower centers are the detailed section that breaks up each image.
My favorite things in this entire collage are the bees (above) and ladybug (can you find it?). I think of them as the hidden jewels of the collage. Including little gems from other fabrics or dimensional, multi-media items with these fabrics can be really fun! Becky used animal fabrics that were fussy cut in her "Old Blue" quilt which we looked at last week. What could you include in a floral collage that is not just floral?
It is almost impossible to talk about design in the shop without mentioning color. I love all the bright and fun colors that these flowers are, but remember when Jean taught us that "green is nature's neutral"? Look at the whole collage at the bottom of the page and consider all of the different shades of green that are included in this collage. We have sage green, bright spring green, darker forest-y greens and they all look so good with these bright colors. The consistency of the green throughout the piece gives your eyes places to rest as well as a great foundation to build the bright colors on-top of.
A great exercise with this collage is to create your own field of flowers in your Art Journal. One option is to collect floral photos and just make a paper collage with fussy cut flowers. Another option (which I love to do), is to paint a page or spread with watercolors, then build the collage on-top of the base you created, and let the wash peak through the flowers as you would with a fabric collage.
Happy Creating!
~Katie
Our intention for creating the "Alchemy of Fabric" club is to provide the spark... the catalyst... the inspiration... for a project that your color palette is built upon. We have a monthly tutorial of insights on each fabric chosen. We have also included 10 other recommended fabrics to expand from the core fabrics and further guide your choices.
We are excited to share this educational opportunity as a study in color and fabric as well as build your artist palette of fabrics. As you practice designing your project from many different designers and collections our hope is to facilitate greater confidence and empowerment in your creative pursuits..
At the Stitchin' Post were are committed to creativity and inspiration and we are now embarking on a journey opening to new options together as the "Alchemy of Fabric" unfolds each month. Please share with us what the spark has ignited in you using the hashtag "#AlchemyofFabric" on your preferred social media platform, so others can be inspired by your work! You can also search #AlchemyofFabric to see what others have done, and to gain your own inspiration.
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